Semiconductor memories are used in many electronic systems to store data that may be retrieved at a later time. Semiconductor memories are generally controlled by providing the memories with commands, addresses, and clocks. The commands, addresses, and clocks may be provided by a memory controller, for example. The commands may control the semiconductor memories to perform various memory operations. For example, a read command causes the semiconductor memory to perform a read operation to retrieve data from a memory, and a write command causes the semiconductor memory to perform a write operation to store data to the memory. The addresses identify the memory location for the access operation, and the clocks provide timing for the various operations and provision of data.
As the number of different types of electronic systems increases, it becomes more challenging to design semiconductor memories that can meet the different memory operating requirements and configurations demanded. Once designed, a conventional semiconductor memory is often limited to operating according to an internal architecture that may suit the needs of some electronic systems but not others. The limitations of the semiconductor memory may force the electronic system designer to compromise the performance of such systems, which is an undesirable approach to resolving the problem. As such, it may be desirable to have semiconductor memories with flexible architectures to meet design demands of different types of electronic systems.